Lesson Plan - When Toys Become Trash

Watch a Video
Watch the video “What You Need to Know About Trash” and discuss: What kinds of things do you throw away in the course of a year? How might you apply the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• components
• regulations

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about the importance of recycling electronics.

1. How does the article support the claim that e-toys are an “overlooked part of the electronic waste problem”?
The article supports the claim that e-toys are an “overlooked part of the electronic waste problem” by noting that about 90 percent of the billions of e-toys that get thrown away worldwide each year don’t get recycled. Instead, most of them wind up in landfills. The article goes on to explain that e-toys do not get recycled in part because there are no laws requiring them to be recycled and in part because they are hard to recycle.
^{R.8 Reasons and Evidence}

2. What are some steps that Callie Babbitt says kids can take to keep e-toys out of the trash?
Callie Babbitt says kids can help keep e-toys out of the trash by giving gently used items to charities and searching online for a collection center that accepts e-toys for recycling. 
^{R.1 Demonstrate Understanding}

3. How do the photos on pages 2-3 help you understand the article?
The small photos on pages 2-3 help you understand the article by showing examples of e-toys, like walkie-talkies, a video game controller, and an electronic keyboard. The large photo helps you understand the article by showing an example of a landfill, where many e-toys end up.
^{R.7 Text Features}

Featured Skill: Opinion Writing
As the sidebar notes, no states have e-toy recycling laws, and only half have laws about recycling any electronic waste. Work as a class to find out what the laws are in your state, then discuss what effective laws about recycling electronic waste, including e-toys, might say. Use the skill builder “Make Your Voice Heard” to have students reach out to elected officials.
^{W.1 Opinion Writing}